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A. OOTTRAU.

BRIDGE, PIER, AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES.

Patentedlvm. 9, 1886.

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A. C'OTTRAU.

RRIDGR, PIRR, vRRI) SIMILAR STRUGIURRS.

No. 337,666. Patented lVIar. 9, 1886.

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BRIDGE, PIER, AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES. No. 337,666.

Patented Mar. 9, 1886.

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A. OOTTRAU.

BRIDGE, PIER, AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES. No. 337,666. Patented Mar, 9, 1886.

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5. t e e h s m e e h s 6 U A R TA T O C A n d o M o m BRIDGE, PIER, AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES. No. 337,666.

Patented Mar. 9, 1886.

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A. GOTTRAU. l BRIDGE, PIER, AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES. No. 337,666. Patented M61. 9, 1686.

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Nirnn @raras ALFREDO OOTTRAU, OF NAPLES, ITALY.

BRIDGE, PIER, OR SIMILAR STRUCTURE.

PECIFECATJION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,666, dated March 9,1886.

Application filed August 13, 18S-l. Serial No. 140,462.

(No model.)

Patented in England July 8, 1884, No. 9,926, and in Italy May 2l, 1884, No. 16,825.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, COMMANDER ALFREDO the construction of met-al piers. Fig. 1l shows abridge whose principal girders are formed COTTRAU, a subject of the King ot' Italy,and a by the elements or parts A, arranged 1ongiresident of Naples, Italy, civil engineer, have 1 tudinally. Figs. 12, 13, and 14 are transverse invented new and uselul Improvements in and I sections through a bridge of this type.

i I I protection in Great Britain on the 8th day oi' July, 1884, No. 9,926, and l'or which I have f obtained a patent in Italy/',No. 16,825, bearing date May 2l, 1884, ot' which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to bridges, piers, and similar structures, which, whatever be their dimensions and resistance, are made up or built of a number of rectangular elements or parts made of iron or steel, and all alike in shape and size. These elements or parts are placed one above another, or partially connected with each other, or arranged perpendicularly or obliquely with respect to each other, and they thus form very rigid bridges of trellis-work or open-work whose height, length,width, and resistance can be varied as desired.

To enable me to vary the resistance of this system without being obliged to augment the height of the aforesaid elements or parts of which the niain girders are composed, I employ other elements or parts in the construction of these bridges, which elements or parts consist of iron or steel plates, one of which serves as a tie-rod or connecting-piece, and the other and shorter one as a coverplate for thejoints, or as a gusset or strengthening-piece for the first-named elements or parts upon the supports in order to increase the resistance to the crushing thereof'. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a rectangular element or part, A. Fig. 2 shows an element or part, B, -to serve as a tie-rod or connecting-piece. Fig. 3 shows an element or part, C, to serve as a cover-plate for the joints. Fig. 4 shows thc application of my invention to the construction of a metal pier. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 illustrate different 15 is a general elevation of a bridge for varialaid either simply end to end, or doubled, or one overlapping another, thejoints either coinciding or being shifted longitudinally. Fig. 16 is a plan ofa bridge of the type shownin Fig. l1. Fig. 17 is a plan of a bridge of the type shown in Fig. 15. Fig. 18 shows a bridge with the elements or parts A placed vertically. Figs. 19, 20, and 21 are transverse sections through a bridge of the type shown in Fig. 18. Fig. 22 is a general elevation of abridge for variable spans and with the element-s or parts A placed vertically, and either simply side by side, or doubled, or overlapping, the joints either coinciding or being shifted longitudinally. Fig. 23 is aplan ot'a bridge of the type shown in Fig. 18. Fig. 24 is a plan of a bridge of the type shown in Fig. 22. Figs. 25, 26, and 28 are diii'erenttransverse sections of bridges for railways, of which the general eleva-tion is also illustrated by Figs. 11 and Fig. 27 is a transverse section of a railway-bridge with alargesp'an. (Forstill greater spans the numberof elements or parts A may be augmented.) Fig. 29 shows by itslefthandportion a transverse section of a bridge of great width, (this width can be increased by the addition of other elements or parts, A, B, and 0,) and by its right-hand portion a transverse section of a bridge of great width and large span. a bridge oi' the type shown iu Fig. 27 or in the right-hand halt'of Fig. 29. Fig. 31 is a Fig.

Fig. 30 is a general elevation of i plan of a bridge of either of the types shown in Figs. 25, 26, 27, and 28. In this plan it will be observed that the elements or partsm.

A are employed as horizontal cross-ties. Figs. 32, 32, and 32b represent the element A in plan and section. Figs. 33 and 33L are face views of the element B. Figs. 34 and 34"L are sections and face views ofthe element C. Fig. 35 is a transverse section of part of a bridge in which the component elements are shown on a large sca-le and are connected with each other. Fig. 36 is a side elevation of the forni of bridge also shown in Fig. 35.

rlhe iirst element or part, A, is of rectangular form, as is shown in Figs. l, 32, 32, and 32", and has its surface and margin perforated or provided with bolt or rivet holes. The second element or part,B,has the form shown in Figs. 2, 33, and 33, and consists of an iron or steel plate perforated in such a manner as to adapt it for attachment; to either the long or the short side of the rectangular part A. The third element or part, C, (which is used as a cover' plate, gusset, rib. or strengthening piece,) is represented by Fig. 3, and can be applied in any position to the elements or parts A and B either on the exterior of the ribs of the element A or on the inside, or extending in a transverse direction. It is evident that the rectangular elements, whether strengthened or not, according to requirements by the elements B and C, can be connected with each other in a great many different manners--for instance, as indicated in Figs. 5 to 31.

All the elements or parts are united by means of bolts Z when the bridge is designed for temporary use, so thatit can be taken to pieces and re-erected in another place; but when it is to be a permanentstructure rivets can be substituted for the bolts, said bolts or rivets being passed through the holes made in the elements A B C, to hold the latter together. It will thus be seen thatbycmployinganumberoftheabovenamed three elements or parts,which for each group or series are all alike, and a suitable number of bolts,(which, ifrequired, may also be alikc,) a bridge can be erected which has any desired span, width,and resistance,whateverpurpose it is to serve-for instan ee,as a foot way for pedcstrians, or for any ordinary thoroughfare, or for ordinary railway trahie-the greatest rigidity and stability being obtained in cach case, and the elements or parts A can be employed as main girders, small girders, beams, and crossties,and these bridges may be either temporary or permanent structures.

1n theaccompanying drawings some ofthe principal applications of this system areillustrated. These applications may be greatly varied apart from thel'act that, by reason ofthe different manners in which the elements or parts may be arranged. it is possible to construct bridges with several continuous bays, which cannot be effected with the type of portable bridges heretofore employed. With the elements or parts A, B, and C piers or framework having a great height and great rigidity may also be built. Moreover, the weight of each of these elements or parts being, relatively speaking, very small, they can be easily carried by'a man, and constitute a really useful mechanical structure, which in many cases is indispensable for war purposes and t'or the construction oftemporary passages to be employed instantaneously either for the lines of railways in use or for those in course of construction, or for au ordinary thoroughfare or foot-way.

It must be remarked that a characteristic feature ofthis system is that, by means ofthe arrangement or combination of the elements or parts A B C, the moment of inertia of the main girders can be proportioned in accordance with the moments and the strains orstresses, which are produced under the effect ofthose loads which it is designed to bear, so thatwhen the span or the width of the bridge is to be increased there is no necessity for diminishing the load, asis the case with all other systems, which always have the same moment ofinertia for the principal girderswithout its being possible to increaseit in any manner.

Vith a number of the three elements or parts A B G a bridge may at any time be erected of any desired span, width, and resistance on theA shortest notice, and piers or intermediate sup portsniay likewise be builtfor the said bridges in cases where the subdivision ot' the structure into a number of spans is of importance` The element orpart A is rectangular, and is provided with diagonals. It is flat on one side and all the ribs are on the other side. The element or part B consists of a plate formed with holes, which correspond with thosein the outer sides of the element or part A, and the element or part C is also a plate and can be used as a cover-plate for the joints, in combination with the elements orparts A or B-or as a conneetingplate for these elements or parts. These three parts are ofiron or steel.

l. ln the construction of bridges, the combination of the series of separate rectangular llat elements, A, the straight plates B, and the 'cover-plates C, constructed substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In the construction of gil-ders, the combination of the series of separate rectangular iiat elements A, having the diagonals, the ilat plates B, secured to the sides thereof, and the cover-plates G, the whole constructed substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereofl have hereunto signed my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALFREDO COTTRAU.

Witnesses:

F. G. HAUGHWOUT, BORT. O. N. WICKERSHEY.

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